Huizar’s Utility Box Mural Project Expands to Downtown L.A.

Huizar’s Utility Box Mural Project Expands to Downtown L.A.

(LOS ANGELES) January 22, 2014 – Los Angeles City Councilmember, José Huizar, announced today that new public art is debuting this week on six DOT utility boxes in Downtown Los Angeles’ Historic Core. The six intersections surround Winston Street along Main and Los Angeles Streets at 4th, Winston and 5th Streets.

The downtown installation, comes after Councilmember Huizar recently announced the installation of nine utility box art installations along the 1st Street Arts Corridor in Boyle Heights, a street that is currently undergoing $12 million in Gold Line related renovations due to funding Huizar helped secure through Metro several years ago.

“This latest mural utility box project gives us another opportunity to bring art to the public right-of-way and celebrate local artists and history,” said Councilmember Huizar, describing how the project got started. “I want to thank all our partners, especially the artists, for lending their extraordinary talents to the City of Los Angeles.”

The Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT) owns all the utility boxes, which serve as traffic control signal cabinets and are placed at intersections throughout the City. Last year, the Councilmember worked with LADOT to streamline the approval process for art installations on the cabinets.

118 Winston, a local art gallery and yoga studio, has been coordinating a series of murals in and around the historic “Indian Alley” to celebrate the Native American history of the site. 118 Winston’s Stephen Zeigler curated and coordinated the utility box installations, selecting artists who have recently contributed murals to the Indian Alley project.

Indian Alley refers to the stretch of Werdin Place, between Winston & 5th Street, adjacent to the 118 Winston gallery. The building was the headquarters of United American Indian Involvement, Inc. (UAII), from the 1970s through the 1990s. The UAII is a 501(c)3 private, non-profit organization offering health and human services to Native Americans in L.A.

118 Winston pays homage to the history of the site by creating murals honoring Native Americans and humanitarians in and around the former UAII site. The artists contributing to the utility box installations include: Wild Life; Teacher; Free Humanity; Bandit; Skechy; and Gabbette. The art installations contain positive messages, images celebrating Native American history, a tribute to Nelson Mandela, and even interactive art.

Councilmember Huizar has long pushed for more art in public places through his initiation of a 1st Street Arts Corridor in Boyle Heights and leading the effort to adopt a new Mural Ordinance for the City of Los Angeles.

Huizar’s Utility Box Mural Project Expands to Downtown L.A.

(LOS ANGELES) January 22, 2014 – Los Angeles City Councilmember, José Huizar, announced today that new public art is debuting this week on six DOT utility boxes in Downtown Los Angeles’ Historic Core. The six intersections surround Winston Street along Main and Los Angeles Streets at 4th, Winston and 5th Streets.

The downtown installation, comes after Councilmember Huizar recently announced the installation of nine utility box art installations along the 1st Street Arts Corridor in Boyle Heights, a street that is currently undergoing $12 million in Gold Line related renovations due to funding Huizar helped secure through Metro several years ago.

“This latest mural utility box project gives us another opportunity to bring art to the public right-of-way and celebrate local artists and history,” said Councilmember Huizar, describing how the project got started. “I want to thank all our partners, especially the artists, for lending their extraordinary talents to the City of Los Angeles.”

The Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT) owns all the utility boxes, which serve as traffic control signal cabinets and are placed at intersections throughout the City. Last year, the Councilmember worked with LADOT to streamline the approval process for art installations on the cabinets.

118 Winston, a local art gallery and yoga studio, has been coordinating a series of murals in and around the historic “Indian Alley” to celebrate the Native American history of the site. 118 Winston’s Stephen Zeigler curated and coordinated the utility box installations, selecting artists who have recently contributed murals to the Indian Alley project.

Indian Alley refers to the stretch of Werdin Place, between Winston & 5th Street, adjacent to the 118 Winston gallery. The building was the headquarters of United American Indian Involvement, Inc. (UAII), from the 1970s through the 1990s. The UAII is a 501(c)3 private, non-profit organization offering health and human services to Native Americans in L.A.

118 Winston pays homage to the history of the site by creating murals honoring Native Americans and humanitarians in and around the former UAII site. The artists contributing to the utility box installations include: Wild Life; Teacher; Free Humanity; Bandit; Skechy; and Gabbette. The art installations contain positive messages, images celebrating Native American history, a tribute to Nelson Mandela, and even interactive art.

Councilmember Huizar has long pushed for more art in public places through his initiation of a 1st Street Arts Corridor in Boyle Heights and leading the effort to adopt a new Mural Ordinance for the City of Los Angeles.